


If He Came Back

by holmartell



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Fix-It, Fluff, Is it a dream? Is it real? Who knows. Not me, I’ll leave the shared bath to your imaginations, M/M, Reunion, Small reference to the Captain’s family - mother father sister and nieces/nephews, The Captain is Gay (Ghosts TV 2019)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27597284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holmartell/pseuds/holmartell
Summary: An imagining of what it could’ve been like if Havers had come back.
Relationships: The Captain/Lieutenant Havers (Ghosts TV 2019)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 78





	If He Came Back

_Dear Mother,_

_It is miserable here, it has rained for a week. If there were to be a cricket match on Saturday it would surely be cancelled. Regardless, there are not enough healthy men here to put a team together anyway. There are so few of us now. I should be glad that the war seems to be coming to its conclusion, but every day it seems as if I’m writing more and more condolence letters._

The Captain put down his pen for a moment, adjusted the desk lamp, and rubbed his temples with a groan, before continuing. He let the sound of the bath running in the adjoining room drown out his thoughts.

_I can’t help but feel a sense of guilt when I write to their widows and mothers. How can I tell them that their men died in a glorious fight, when I am not fighting myself? I can hear your voice perfectly in my mind as I write this, telling me to be grateful to be alive. But all I can feel is my own hypocrisy.  
_

_I’m sorry to be a grump. I did enjoy your lemon drizzle cake, it was a much needed pleasant surprise. I’m looking forward to seeing you next month. Give my love to Dad, Rose and the little ones. Rosie must be ready to burst! Perhaps when I arrive home there will be another niece/nephew to greet me. What a thought!_

_All my love,_

_Your Teddy_

The pen was rested on the table again and the Captain sat back in his chair, stretching his arms out wide, feeling the joints crack. He was tired. In the morning, he would take a walk to the post office near Button House to send the letter.

For a moment, he watched the rain hitting the windowpane. In the moonlight, the streams of water illuminated the beads of condensation on the glass, and reflected beams of silver across his desk. He was lost in thought when he was brought back to his senses by a knock at the door.

Tentatively, he stood up - with another cacophony of creaking bones - and approached the door. There was no peephole, and he couldn’t imagine who would be calling on him in his private quarters at such a late hour. Perhaps it was the Lieutenant Colonel making a surprise inspection. Considering this, he became acutely aware of his attire. He had been preparing to take a bath, so his tie was loose, his hair was messy, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He quickly went to turn off the water, and with a nervous gulp, opened the door.

It wasn’t the Lieutenant Colonel at all. Standing in the hallway, wearing a warm grin, was a dark-haired man, tanned and freckled, with a huge rucksack on his back.

“Good lord...” Said the Captain, inadvertently taking a step back.

“Hello, Captain.” Said Havers, removing his hat.

“William. I mean, Havers...” The Captain said, moving aside to let the other man in, his mouth open.

Havers came inside the room, glad to be in the warm and dry, and dropped his bag on the floor with relief. The men looked at each other before the Captain gave a nervous laugh.

“I thought you were dead.”

“Not quite.” Havers’ face softened.

“But how?!” The Captain stammered, still in shock.

“I was MIA after we got into a spot of trouble in Italy. I managed to travel North with the help of some Danes I met in France, believe it or not, and they got me safe passage. I didn’t have a lot of cash on me, but there was only one place I wanted to go. I got the first train I could. I think the Major almost died of fright when he saw me.”

“I can’t believe it...” The Captain murmured, more to himself than to Havers, still breathless with surprise. “Were you hurt?”

“Oh, a little. Took some shrapnel to the knee, but I’m alright.” Havers indicated to the spot on his leg were there was obvious bandaging beneath the fabric of his trousers. “I hope I’ll still be good enough to make the Button House eleven.”

This made the Captain break out in a beaming smile, but there were also tears in his eyes that he hadn’t expected. “Oh, Havers. I’m sure of it.” He cleared his throat. “May I take your coat and hat?”

“Yes, of course.” Recognising the man’s fatigue, the Captain slid Havers’ heavy overcoat, still drenched with the rain, from off his shoulders, and hung it beside his own on the stand. The Captain stood for a moment, facing the wall, trying to disguise his anxiety.

“Sir? Are you alright?”

The Captain gathered himself and turned around, hands behind his back, putting on a façade of formality. “Yes, Havers. Quite alright. I just...well, there were many things I didn’t get to talk to you about before you left. So many things. I regret it.”

“It’s been a long time.” Havers smiled. “And you can call me William if you like, sir.”

“Thank you. Yes, it has. A very long time. I regret not...being honest with you about...certain things...”

A long few seconds of silence passed before Havers took three steps and closed the gap between them, wrapping his arms around the neck of his commanding officer. The Captain froze. A moment later, his arms found Havers’ waist, and he allowed his eyes to close, face buried in Havers’ shoulder, breathing him in, savouring him.

“It’s alright, sir.” Havers whispered. “It’s going to be alright.”

Neither of them separated, and Havers touched the back of the Captain’s head, running his fingers tentatively through the older man’s hair. When they did eventually part, they stayed close, foreheads almost touching, reluctant to move away. Havers took the Captain’s hand and patted it. The Captain laughed shakily.

“I’ve missed you, William. Very much.”

“I missed you, too, sir.”

“It’s Edward. You can call me Edward.” The Captain chuckled, and Havers did too.

“Could I call you Ted?” Havers asked with a mischievous look.

The Captain laughed heartily at this. “Yes, I think I’ll allow that.”

There was no awkwardness between them. It was as if they had fallen right back into their old understanding, their intimacy even stronger and more desperate after more than a year apart. They remained close, each holding onto the other man’s arms. Moving slowly, as if afraid to frighten the Captain away, Havers raised a hand to the older man’s face, brushing his knuckles against the Captain’s cheekbone tenderly, and then down to his neck. The Captain barely held back a shiver at the contact.

“What things did you want to tell me, before I left?” Havers asked, his voice quiet, his hand on the Captain’s neck as steady as a surgeon’s.

“I...I think you know. Or, at least I hope you do.”

“Yes, I think I do.”

Havers kissed the Captain, who had to stop himself from stumbling back. He inhaled sharply, steadying himself with his fingers placed delicately on Havers’ hips, moving his hands up Havers’ back to touch his neck, his hair, anchoring himself.

He had imagined this for so long. Almost every night, he would go to sleep with images of William’s face in his mind, wondering what his lips would feel like against his, what his mouth would taste like, what it would be like to touch him, to wake up beside him. And it was real, it was happening. He opened his mouth and gave into the kiss with a tiny moan. Havers pulled away by an inch, his breath still on the Captain’s face, their bodies warm against each other.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt you.” Havers laughed, touching the Captain’s ear.  
  
“No, not at all.” Replied the Captain, plucking up the courage to wrap his arms around the younger man’s waist, pulling him even closer, as Havers’ hands settled on his collarbones. “I was just getting ready to take a bath.”

“Mind if I join you?” Asked Havers, with another raise of the eyebrow, slowly beginning to loosen the Captain’s tie.

At this, the Captain flushed red before chuckling. “Not at all. You must be tired.”

“I am.”

“Go get in. I’ll join you.”

Havers kissed him on the cheek and went into the bathroom, taking off his own tie as he went, with an enticing glance aimed over his shoulder. Once alone, the Captain swooned, one hand on his desk to keep himself upright. He was shaking. Was he dreaming? It certainly felt like it. But if it was a dream, it could continue. It could go on and on and on and he wouldn’t be complaining. Falling over himself in his hurry, he removed his socks, tie and braces, and headed for the bathroom.

**Author's Note:**

> A bit more romantic this time, I hope you enjoyed it! :)
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @tennisesque!


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